Plus-size model is a term applied to a person who is engaged primarily in modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size models also engaged in work that is not strictly related to selling large-sized clothing, e.g., stock photography and advertising photography for cosmetics, household and pharmaceutical products and sunglasses, footwear and watches. Therefore plus-size models do not exclusively wear garments marketed as plus-size clothing. This is especially true when participating in fashion editorials for mainstream fashion magazines.
Synonymous and interchangeable with plus-size model is "full-figured model," "extended-sizes model," and "outsize model".
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Fashion designers are starting to look more closely at the earning potential from plus-size clothing, and have used plus-size models for their advertising campaigns and catwalks. Jean-Paul Gaultier and John Galliano both used plus-size models[1] in their Spring 2006 showings in Paris. Italian plus-size fashion house Elena Mirò now regularly stages biannual prêt-à-porter shows during Fashion Week in Milan. Mark Fast[2] and William Tempest[3] each used plus-size models during their own London Fashion Week showings for Spring 2009, and again as part of All Walks Beyond the Catwalk[4] event held on September 19, 2009 in association with the British Fashion Council.
Although U.S.-based manufacturers used larger models to show their plus-size clothing as early as the 1940s, the bias against larger consumers and models pervasive in the fashion industry worked to keep this particular concept of modeling out of the general public's eye until the early 1990s.
Lane Bryant began trading in the early 1920s as a producer of clothing for "Expectant Mothers and Newborn"'. By the mid-1920s, Lane Bryant started selling clothing under the category 'For the Stout Women', which ranged between a 38-56 inch bustline. The earliest catalogs used illustrations to sell their products, but by the mid-1940s photographs were integrated into the catalogs as the evolution of printing technology made this option available. After a hiatus through the 1960-1970 period, Lane Bryant again began using plus-size models.
Gary Dakin headed New York's Karin Models' Curves division, only to leave after a short time to develop the Ford agency's Ford 12+ model division in their New York office. In Constantine Valhouli's 2001 plus-size model documentary Curve, Dakin states, "We're celebrating our 25th anniversary of the Ford 12+ division. It was the first and longest-existing plus division in the industry."(sic) Wilhelmina NYC agent Susan Georget started the Wilhelmina 10/20 division in New York 1994, recently re-branded W Curve. Together, these agents created agency divisions that have continued to recruit the highest calibre of models in the industry and are credited with expanding opportunities for plus-size models beyond working solely for plus-size clothing retailers, although Georget and Dakin have removed themselves from day-to-day booking tasks.
While these agencies are responsible for driving the growth and scope of work for plus-size models, there are a large number of reputable agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada, and internationally in the U.K., Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and Australia.
In 1979 Big Beautiful Woman magazine (more commonly known via the acronym BBW) began publication and was one of the first publications in the US catering specifically to plus-size clothing consumers. It ceased publication in 1995, but the "BBW" brand was sold onwards[5] and although it was resurrected in print via several editor-and-publisher combinations it continued to falter, finally ceasing print publication most recently in the late 1990s. BBW is now an online community surrounding archived material from the magazine.
Spiegel catalog launched their For You from Spiegel plus size collection in 1989 with Linda Arroz as their official consultant and spokesmodel[6]]. The three year For You campaign included opening brick and mortar retail locations in upscale shopping centers, in a reverse move, as previously, Spiegel had only been a mail order merchant. As part of the full scale plus size outreach, Speigel produced fashion videos which featured advice from image consultant Arroz, along with commentary from some of the plus size models who appeared in the video and catalog. Arroz became the fashion editor of BBW magazine after her stint with Spiegel. By the mid nineties, all For You from Spiegel retail locations had closed.[7]
With strong cooperation from Wilhelmina 10/20, Curves and Ford 12+ agencies, MODE magazine was launched in the spring of 1997. No other fashion magazine specifically targeted the plus-size consumer with a Vogue-like fashion philosophy. MODE's editorial practice of providing models' names, sometimes attached to quotes on self-esteem to make them more approachable greatly aided the popularity of the models featured and gave them a form of celebrity. MODE also ran model search competitions in conjunction with the Wilhelmina modelling agency, drawing entries from thousands of hopefuls from the US and Canada. Occurring shortly before the time of MODE's closure was the failure of several designers' ventures into the plus-size market. Versace (GV Versatile Couture), Valentino (Carisma), Anne Klein Plus and others ceased producing the clothing which MODE Magazine relied upon, leaving an unfortunate deficit in both the fashion department wardrobes and advertising revenue coffers of MODE magazine and its successor/s. Its circulation was approximately 600,000 at the time of its demise[8] in late 2001.
Grace Magazine was launched on May 14, 2002 by MODE Magazine's last executive editor, Ceslie Armstrong, and many of the ex-MODE staff as an independent quarterly publication and website under a similar concept. Even though the initial 400,000 print run sold out quickly and advertising revenue appeared high, the independent status and limited funding prohibited the ability to grow to fill the newsstand and subscription orders. Critics, however, believed that Grace featured far less stylish fashion content than its predecessor and unwisely pursued an editorial emphasis on weight-related health issues. Grace Magazine ceased operation due to lack of funding in November 2003, after publishing 10 issues.
In 1995, Lane Bryant began a transformation of the brand which included large-scale fashion showings and the use of celebrity endorsement. Queen Latifah, Mia Tyler, Camryn Manheim, Anna Nicole Smith and Chris Noth have all appeared in advertising and/or events on behalf of the brand. Lane Bryant held a large-scale lingerie fashion show[9] to launch the "Cacique Intimates" lingerie collection on February 1, 2000. The 2003 final large-scale catwalk show[10] featured Roseanne Barr as Matron of Ceremonies in a cabaret setting complete with Moulin Rouge-style singers and dancers. Lane Bryant was acquired by Charming Shoppes for $335 million in August 2001, and in 2003 a cost-reduction plan was announced to improve the company's pre-tax position by $45 million. Shortly afterwards, the annual Lane Bryant fashion show ceased production
Charming Shoppes' custom advertorial magazine, Figure, was launched in 2002 and was revamped during 2006. Although it featured only Charming Shoppes' own products and related lifestyle articles, it remained the only fashion and lifestyle print magazine specifically targeted for plus-size consumers up to the time of its announced closure after the publication of the March/April 2009 issue.[11]
U.S. television program America's Next Top Model has featured contestants[12] acknowledging the plus-size industry's relevance to fashion since the show's launch in 2003. After elimination from the competition several of the contestants have signed contracts with the Wilhelmina agency, although only Toccara Jones, Whitney Thompson, and Alexandra Underwood have successfully translated their TV celebrity into an ongoing modeling career.
Several homegrown calendar projects featuring models over a U.S. size 12 were launched in 2007, including the well-publicized Luscious and Fenomenal Calendar products from North America. To date, no calendar has been successful enough to continue beyond its initial launch year.
Canadian publication LouLou magazine has included specifically produced bi-annual plus-size fashion inserts featuring editorials and product pages since 2008. Echoing the advertorial relationship of Figure to Lane Bryant, LouLou's supplement features products from Reitmans group of plus-size apparel companies (Addition-Elle, MXM, Pennington's) within its pages.
Vogue U.S. continues to use plus-size models and celebrities for the annual "Shape Issue" (April), and after the appearance of a stock photograph of model Lizzie Miller, U.S. Glamour has declared it will feature more plus-size models as editorial policy.[13]
High fashion print publication V mmagazine featured seven agency-represented plus-size models in "The Size Issue" #63, photographed by prominent fashion photographers.[14][15][16]
Emme (Melissa) Aronson is acknowledged as the first plus-size model to achieve widespread recognition in the United States. She hosted Fashion Emergency on E! and has appeared on most major US TV networks. She was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" twice (1994 and 1999) and Glamour magazine's "Woman of the Year" (1997). She has a collectible doll named for her, bearing her likeness.
Barbara Brickner has maintained a plus-size modeling career of over 10 years. Featured numerous times in MODE Magazine, she went on to model for many plus-size designers; most notably for Italian company Elena Miro, appearing by herself in their 2000 calendar. Also in 2000, Brickner launched a line of plus-size maternity clothing named BB Maternity, sold through U.S. department stores.
Charlotte Coyle was born in Northern Ireland, but became known as a plus-size model in the US while working for the clothing company Torrid. Coyle hosted a well-received UK reality TV show in 2006 named Fat Beauty Contest, in which contestants learned the basics of catwalk modeling from Coyle in order to compete in a finale fashion show.
Kate Dillon began her career as a size 6 with Elite NYC, but after overcoming health issues (anorexia) eventually relaunched her career as a U.S. size 14 plus-size model. Dillon enjoyed a fast rise to fame via the covers and editorials of MODE Magazine, and has since notched up advertising campaigns for the top plus-size clothing retailers in the world. Dillon has appeared in several language editions of Vogue magazine, and has been photographed for high fashion magazines and campaigns by such photographers as Patrick Demarchelier, Helmut Newton, Francesco Scavullo, Albert Watson and Mario Testino, and has appeared in advertising for clients well outside of the usual plus-size œuvre such as Gucci, Isabella Rossellini's 'Manifesto' perfume, and Nine West. Dillon was a featured guest during season 3 of the US network show America's Next Top Model, talking to contestants about body image and self-esteem.
Johanna Dray of France notably appeared in John Galliano's 'Everybody is Beautiful' Spring 2006 prêt-à-porter show and subsequent French Vogue editorial of the collection, wearing what turned out to be Galliano's best-selling dress of the show. Utilizing her education in fashion design, Dray is the first plus-size model in Europe to launch a collaborative plus-size clothing line, named Tend@nces en clair par Johanna Dray, produced by catalog company 3Suisses Group. She has also appeared in interview with Elle France, and in two high-fashion editorials for Gala magazine in their post-Cannes Film Festival issues of 2007 and 2008, and was a featured model on Vogue Italia's "Vogue Curvy" website.
Natalie Laughlin was the first plus-size model to have an advertisement feature on a billboard in New York's Times Square, an honor repeated four times by client Liz Claiborne. Laughlin was also the first plus-size model to appear in the U.S. edition of Glamour magazine.
Pollyanna McIntosh most notably appeared in the Pirelli Calendar for December 2004, photographed by Nick Knight. She also appeared as a UK size 14 in a UK Vogue 16-page fashion editorial, and has also worked with renown photographer David Bailey for Evans stores, and appeared in his book entitled, Bailey's Democracy.
Lizzie Miller gained fame via internet and media discussions surrounding a photograph published in the September 2009 issue of U.S. Glamour as part of a story on women who are comfortable in their own skin. The photograph, which shows Miller's un-retouched stomach, including a visible roll of fat, "caused a storm in the fashion world."[17]
Crystal Renn suffered from anorexia and became a plus-size model after regaining her health. She is notable for her editorials in each of Vogue's U.S., Italian, French and German editions, for covers of Elle Magazine, Spanish edition and Harper's Bazaar, Russian edition, and her appearance on the catwalk for Jean-Paul Gaultier for his Spring 2006 prêt-à-porter collection which received wide media coverage. Renn was also chosen by Dolce & Gabbana to model their apparel in an international print campaign, and appeared on the cover and a 16-page editorial for the December issue of Elle Italia. Renn's first book, Hungry (Simon and Schuster) is an autobiographical account of her experiences and was released on September 8, 2009. She has since then lost almost half her body weight since 2010 [18].
Jordan Tesfay' began her career after winning a MODE Magazine model search competition in 1999. Tesfay was the first plus-model since Emme, and the first black plus-size model to appear in a nation-wide advertising campaign for CoverGirl cosmetics. She also appeared in a minor role in the direct-to-video release of Carlito's Way: Rise to Power, released in 2005.
Whitney Thompson is the first plus-size model to win the reality-based TV show America's Next Top Model. Thompson began her modeling career at 15[19] in her home state of Florida, appearing several times on the cover of her local "Jacksonville" community magazine. Thompson is 5'10" and a US size 10.[20] She was 20 at the time of her appearances on ANTM. Thompson is the first plus-size model to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine, on the July 2008 issue.
Natalie Wakeling is notable for inspiring Australian Cosmopolitan magazine's editorial policy to use models over an Australian size 12 in every issue. Wakeling was also the first plus-size model to feature on a cover of Australian Cosmopolitan Pregnancy magazine in 2006. She created a plus-size premium denim brand called "Embody Denim", and as part of her commitment to educating young girls on healthy body image, serves as an ambassador for the Eating Disorders Foundation of NSW.
Chloe Marshall is an English plus-size model from Cranleigh, Surrey. Having won the Miss Surrey title in March 2008, she became the first size 16 model to reach the finals for the Miss England tiara.
Celebrities who wear clothing larger than a standard U.S. size 8 have increasingly been attracting endorsement contracts as advertisers seek to extend size-acceptance into the film, TV and music industries, and/or make use of their family or other connections. Please note that women who have lost weight, dropping below a U.S. size 8, since gaining popularity do not form part of this entry, nor do women unrepresented by model agents.
Velvet D'Amour most notably appeared as the only larger sized model in Jean-Paul Gaultier's 2007 Spring/Summer prêt-à-porter show, and recently appeared as a judge on the US Oxygen Channel's Mo'Nique's F.A.T. Chance television program. D'Amour also featured in the title role of Avida, a 2006 French film selected for the 2006 Cannes and 2007 Tribeca festivals. In 2010 she was a contestant in the TV reality series "La Ferme des Célébrités 3/Celebrity Farm, Season 3", filmed in South Africa.
Mia Amber Davis appeared in a feature role in the cinema-released 2000 comedy movie Road Trip as Rhonda. Since her film appearance, Davis had been working as a model in New York and appeared on TV to speak on the issues of being plus-sized, and on self-esteem, as well as appearing on the Tyra Banks talk show dealing with the media's response to photographs of Banks in a swimsuit. Davis died at 35 years of age on May 10, 2011.
Joanne Borgella was a semi-finalist on the seventh season of American Idol, and is currently represented by the Wilhelmina Models agency as a plus-size model. Borgella was the winner of the first cycle of Mo'Nique's Fat Chance plus-size model search on the Oxygen TV network.
Toccara Jones is a model and television personality. She was a contestant on the third cycle of the reality TV series America's Next Top Model (ANTM), and in connection with her career in mainstream plus-size modeling has also found a niche in interviews and related photography in lifestyle magazine speaking about self-esteem. Jones featured in Vogue Italia in 2008 in a fur advertorial photographed by Steven Meisel.
Dana Owens, aka Queen Latifah is an actress and music artist, and appears in ongoing U.S. advertising for CoverGirl cosmetics. Owens is also the figurehead of the Curvation[21] company's range of plus-size apparel and intimates, and the associated "Project Curvation",[22] an awards program championing confidence in women.
Christina Schmidt appeared in seasons 1-3 of the popular Canadian cable TV series, Degrassi: The Next Generation as a plus-size model and is a unique example of the model/celebrity concept. Schmidt's character gained such popularity among the show's youthful audience that she was hired to model for plus-size clothing company Torrid and is now represented by the Wilhelmina Models 10/20 division in New York.
Maiysha Simpson is a successful Ford model and singer, and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009 for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Wanna Be, taken from the 2008 album, This Much is True.
Mia Tyler, daughter of Aerosmith singer Steve Tyler and Cyrinda Foxe-Tyler and half-sister of actress Liv Tyler, began plus-size modeling at age 20 via an appearance in Seventeen. She was represented by Wilhelmina Models and worked for companies seeking to associate themselves with her rock'n roll lifestyle and aesthetic. Tyler appeared in Vogue U.S. in its annual "Shape Issue" in 2003 and on the cover of Figure Magazine in May 2006.
Plus size modeling have received criticism. Some commentators believe that plus-size models may be setting a bad example to women on how they should look. They believe that promoting large models may lead to women believing that having an unhealthy lifestyle is acceptable.[23][24]
There is also criticism about the size of plus-size models. Some plus-size models are size 10 or 12. The average size for an American women is size 14. These models do not reflect the average women's size.[25]
Some fashion designers have criticized plus-size models and have yet to embrace plus-size models.[26][27]